


Midnight Promises

by Verai



Series: Forever In Your Arms [2]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst with a Happy Ending, Assisted Suicide, Blood Drinking, F/M, Human/Vampire Relationship, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, Sad with a Happy Ending, Sex, Supernatural Elements, Vampire Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:53:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24102421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verai/pseuds/Verai
Summary: After your first night with Arthur, he was determined to just enjoy your existence while he could. But three months later, Arthur has a change of heart and goes after something he swore he’d never do: making you his forever.
Relationships: Arthur Morgan/Reader
Series: Forever In Your Arms [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738984
Comments: 10
Kudos: 120





	1. Hope Comes

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably one of my most ambitious plots yet; not sure if my writing is up to snuff, but I tried, I did. This takes place about three months after Midnight Rendezvous.

The past three months have been absolutely wonderful. Sure, you and Arthur had your differences, and sure, you had to adjust how you lived to maximize your time with Arthur, becoming a full night owl and eating more meat so that Arthur could feed off of you without feeling guilty, but it was all worth it. The more you thought about the future, however, the bleaker it looked. As you grew older, he would stay the same. At some point, you’d have to move away because people would notice that he wasn’t aging. And at some point, he would look more like your child because of the aging difference.

As you pondered these things one night, staring at the full moon outside your window, you heard Arthur come back from his job as a night guard at the local ranch.

“How was work?”

He shrugged. “Same as usual. Nothin’ really goin’ on. Gives me time to think though.”

“I see.” You looked up and took a deep breath. “Arthur?”

“Hmm?”

“Is there a way I can be with you… forever?”

“You know I can’t turn you into a vampire.”

“I know, I meant, maybe some other way?”

Arthur was silent for a little while. “Let me have a think on it.”

***

“Sweetheart?”

You turned to see Arthur, looking at you with a serious expression. 

“What is it?” you asked softly.

He stepped closer to you and took your hands in his. “I’ve been thinkin’... about your question.”

Oh. You knew exactly which question. You had asked him a month ago, and had pretty much forgotten about it after a few days when he didn’t give you an answer. Now you waited eagerly for Arthur to continue, but he just fiddled with his hat some more.

“And you found an answer?” you asked.

He scratched the back of his head. “We’ll need to go on a trip. To see my maker.”

“Wait, but I thought you couldn’t approach another vampire’s territory?”

“She knows we’re comin’. At a certain point, you’ll have to go the rest of the way alone.”

You swallowed, but you gathered your courage. If there was a way to be with Arthur forever, you would brave facing another vampire on your own.

He put his hands on your shoulders. “I wouldn’t send you by yerself if I didn’t trust her. She’s… well, you’ll find out when you meet her. Kindest person I ever met.”

You nodded. “But what about you? How can we find shelter during the day?”

“Don’chu worry. I remember the way there, took note of all the caves we can hide in. And my tent’s got two layers of black canvas. I’ll be fine.”

“Alright, sounds like you got this handled.”

“O’course, darlin’.”

***

After making some excuse to your bosses about seeing a dying relative of yours on the eastern side of Ambarino, you and Arthur packed up and set out on two horses, making your way across the mountains and forests of Ambarino. It took three nights of traveling just to get to the edge of the other vampire's territory, and another night to get within range of her power. You knew you were getting close, because Arthur started to lose a bit of his self-control.

"Arthur!" you yelped as he bit you just a little too hard on the fourth night. 

He pulled away at the sound of you in pain. "I… I'm sorry darlin'." He swallowed, licked his lips, and scooted away from you. "I think I better not feed from you until we're out of her territory. Even a little trace of her power is makin' me more… aggressive."

You nodded. “I understand. At least clean my neck,” you said with a smile, hoping to make him feel less guilty about the bite.

He moved closer to you once more and slowly licked the drops of stray blood from your neck before kissing the wound in apology. “I’m sorry,” he repeated.

“I forgive you,” you said as you patted him on the head. When he pulled away from you, you took his face in your hands, your thumbs caressing his skin. You looked into his beautiful eyes. “Will you be alright?”

He closed his eyes and held his hands against yours. “I will be, once we’re out of here.”

***

In the middle of the fifth night, you and Arthur came to the foot of a mountain path in Ambarino. You looked at Arthur, who had stopped and was staring up the path, a painfully sad look on his face.

“Arthur?”

After another moment, he turned to you, the wind suddenly picking up and blowing strands of his hair around. The clouds that had covered the moon moved away, and the silver light shone against the land, making Arthur look ethereal in his stillness. You had forgotten for so long that he was something _other_. His eyes glowed red in the night, a bright red, unlike the burgundy hue you were so used to seeing.

“I can’t go any further.”

You blinked. Then you took a deep breath. This was why you were here. You could do this. You _had_ to do this. Alone.

“I understand,” you finally said.

“Follow this trail up until you see a small fork to the left, with three stones dividing the path. Go up that way until you see a wooden gateway that says Willard’s Rest. Past the gateway there’s a cabin, but don’t go up to it. Stay at the gateway until you’re summoned.”

You nodded.

“Her name is Charlotte Balfour. And she’s the strongest vampire in three states.”

***

You rode up the trail, leaving Arthur to return to the cave the two of you had used the previous night. He had hugged you, kissed your cheek, and told you to be careful and that he’d be waiting for your return. You had your dagger on your thigh holster, your pistol that Arthur had given you on your hip holster, and a letter from Arthur, which would probably protect you more than the other two items.

It was a steep trail, but the horse that Arthur had chosen for you was nimble and steady. You urged it onwards until you reached the gateway. The sun was beginning to peek over the hills to the east, and you wondered if you would have to wait a whole day before seeing the mysterious vampire.

Just as you were about to turn around and find a spot to camp for the day, you heard a door open and close in the distance. Getting off your horse, you hitched him to the gateway post and waited.

A woman with dark hair and a graceful posture glided down from the cabin, picking her way along the stone path. As she came closer, you saw that her hair was a bit mussed, her skin pale, but her eyes glowed that same bright red that you had seen in Arthur’s eyes a few hours before.

“So,” a melodious voice said, “You must be one special lady to have captured Arthur’s heart.”

You opened and closed your mouth, unable to reply, and resorted to just shrugging. “I suppose,” you finally said.

She laughed. “You sound like him.” Then she smiled, her eyes a little sad. “How is he? Is he doing well?”

“Yes, he is.”

“Good.” She closed her eyes and smiled. “Good,” she repeated. Opening her eyes, the red glow disappeared.

“Come,” she said as she turned and walked back up the path. “I believe you came for answers.”

You followed her back to her cabin, confused by the fact that as the sun rose across the landscape, she seemed unaffected by the light.

***

The cabin was cozy and humble, not quite the grandeur you had been expecting. But it was comfortable and felt like a real home, rather than some ostentatious example of power.

“Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, please, Ms. Balfour.”

She waved her hand. “No need for formalities here. Just call me Charlotte.”

You nodded and told her your name.

“Beautiful name,” she commented. “So how did you meet Arthur?”

You told her the story of how you two had met while she fixed a pot of tea. As she handed you a cup, she sniffed and snarled softly. The red glow in her eyes returned for a few moments as she backed away from you before turning around and took a deep breath. After a tense minute, she turned back to you, an apologetic smile on her face.

“I’m sorry, I caught a whiff of Arthur’s scent on you, so my instincts took over. I’m terribly sorry about that. I used to be… much better about my reactions.”

“Used to be?”

She nodded sadly. “I’m growing weaker these days.”

“Arthur said you were the strongest vampire in three states.”

Charlotte laughed, a hearty, sincere laugh. “He always thought better of me than I deserved. I’m strong enough, I suppose.” She sat down next to you and poured herself a cup of tea. “I can still stand the morning and evening light, but when I was stronger, when Cal was with me, I could walk outside at midday for a few minutes before being burned.”

She twisted her cup on the table as she stared into the liquid, as if she was telling a fortune. “I suppose that’s why Arthur asked me about you. Because he remembered what I had told him about Cal.”

You looked at her, confused.

She looked back at you, her face serious as she reached out and touched your hand. “May I share a story with you? Then you’ll understand why Arthur asked me to talk to you.”

You nodded, and she began her tale.

“I was only 24 when I was turned; I was about to be betrothed to some old man, so I had run away in the night, desperate to escape my fate. But I was captured by some men who took me to a brothel to work for their boss, a vampire. He took a liking to me and made me his personal assistant, and on occasion, his snack. Because I was good with numbers, he made sure I was off limits to everyone, but I still had to… service him.”

You noticed that Charlotte’s hands tensed on her tea cup and got the idea.

“One night, another vampire came to town and attacked him. She hated him, and when he used me as a shield, she accidentally impaled me. As I lay dying, she killed him and forced me to drink her blood, saving me. She trained me, taught me how to survive. She taught me everything, gave me copies of her books, and after a year, told me to go to the New World and live quietly there, for Europe was getting too small.”

Charlotte took a sip of her tea before continuing.

“So I did. She arranged everything. She sent me letters, asking me how I was doing. I always wrote her back. And then, after a few months, the letters stopped. I continued to live my second life, feeding off men who would never remember me, giving them a taste of heaven before I took what I needed.”

A dreamy smile appeared on her face as her brown eyes warmed; they reminded you of hot cocoa on a winter’s night.

“Then I met Cal. He was the most handsome man I had ever seen, and when we met at the docks for the first time, I knew he was special. I wanted to protect him. I didn’t want him to know what I really was.”

“How did he find out?” you asked, enthralled with her story.

She shook her head, a wry smile on her lips. “I had gone for too long without feeding. I didn’t want to touch another man, let alone get him in bed and feed from him. I only wanted Cal. So I settled for drinking from animals for a while, and he found me, crouched in one of the animal stalls by the docks, feeding from a pig! Can you believe that? How embarrassing.”

She chuckled, covering her eyes with her hand, still feeling the embarrassment of the moment as she recalled the memory.

“But you know what? When he discovered my secret, he accepted me. He told me, ‘Lottie, if you need to feed, will I do?’ And that’s when it all clicked in my head. The final letter from my maker. The reason she had both warned me and wished me luck in finding the perfect mate.”

Charlotte leaned in closer to you, like a woman sharing fresh gossip with a friend.

“A human can bond with a vampire; the human gains the same lifespan as the vampire, and the vampire gains an eternal food supply. It’s a give and take, a co-existence that benefits both parties.”

She sat back again, as if it was in her nature to maintain a straight posture. 

“He courted me, despite knowing everything. And it worked. I fell deeply in love with him. When I finally agreed to bond him with me, he looked at me like he had won the biggest prize.”

Charlotte suddenly paused and looked up at the ceiling. “I miss him so much.”

You opened your mouth to ask her what happened to him, but quickly closed it as you saw her eyes close and her lip tremble for a split second. Then she opened her eyes and turned back to you as if nothing had happened. “We were together for three hundred years,” she said.

“Three hundred!?” you gasped.

She nodded. “He would still be with me now, if not for us being robbed by bandits out here.” She wrapped her hands around her arms, and you reached out your hand to her; you wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to tell you any more, that she didn’t have to dig up these painful memories if she didn’t want to, but she held up her own hand.

You slowly put your hand back down.

“He died to protect me. He died to save me. He died because he loved me.”

She took a deep breath. You knew vampires technically didn’t breathe, but from what Arthur had told you, human habits often remained.

“Men came while I was asleep, and he tried to get them to leave, but they shot him, in broad daylight. I could have stopped them, all he needed to do was come wake me… but he wanted to protect me. He knew I was weak in the sunlight. He didn’t… want them to hurt me.”

She shook her head, still disbelieving that it had happened.

“They didn’t find my sleeping chamber below the house, but they turned everything upside down. But I didn’t care about that. I ran outside and found Cal.” She took a shuddering breath. “He was already dead. I cried for days after I buried his body.”

She took another deep breath.

“I’m telling you this because you need to know. You must treasure your life, treat it as more important than anything else, even Arthur’s.”

Your eyes widened, but you remained silent, letting her continue.

“Arthur can heal. Vampires can take so much more damage than a human can; we can heal bullet wounds and broken limbs in a matter of hours.”

She took your hand in hers. “But you, you are so much more fragile. Please, if you become Arthur’s bonded mate, treat yourself with the utmost care.”

You nodded. “I will, I promise.” 

Charlotte stared you in the eyes, looking for any semblance of weakness. But you were stalwart in your word. You understood what it truly meant to protect his happiness.

She finally nodded, accepting your silent strength. “Good. I’ll teach you the ritual.”

***

She went over the ritual, how it would feel, how it needed to be done, and when it needed to be done. The full moon was tomorrow night, so if you wanted to do it this month, you would have to get back to Arthur soon. She also gave you a book with the ritual described inside, and you scribbled her personal notes down in the margins, as the book was written very dryly and was not as descriptive as she was. After you had made your notes, she offered you the guest bed to sleep in for the day, as she was about to go to sleep as well.

“I know we’ve only just met, but Arthur has written much about you,” she said as she was leading you to the guest room. 

“Oh, that reminds me!” You pulled his letter from your bag. “He said to give you this.”

“Oh?” Charlotte took the letter, unfolded it, scanned the first line, and looked back up at you. “Did you read this?”

You shook your head. “I wouldn’t invade his privacy like that.”

Charlotte smiled warmly at you. “I’m happy he’s found someone so loyal.”

You smiled and thanked her for her kind words, and went to bed with a happy feeling. You were so close to being with Arthur forever. There wouldn’t have to be a goodbye.


	2. With A Price

Charlotte climbed into her own bed, her room underneath the house with no windows, just as Cal had built them. Clutching Arthur’s letter, she curled up and breathed, an old habit that she no longer needed, but still, just the same, she needed to do it. 

She missed Cal.

Cal would want her to live.

But Cal didn’t know what would happen if she continued to do so. 

She had been a fool.

In keeping him unaware of the depth of their bond, she had doomed them both.

In the middle of the day, with the sun shining brightly over her cabin in the mountains, Charlotte fell asleep and for the first time in a long time, she dreamed of the past.

***

Arthur had visited her several times after Cal had died. She remembered Arthur’s first visit, coming across her just as she was visiting Cal’s grave. 

On a subsequent visit as she put Arthur into her guest bed after his coughing fit, she had the feeling she might have to bury him too. She carried on with her day, cleaning and reading, trying not to think about it, until she heard a shuffling.

Arthur slowly walked out to the main room and gave her a wan smile.

She stood up. “Are you…?”

He waved his hand dismissively. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

He chuckled. “Can’t put anything past ya, can I?”

She walked up to him. “How bad is it?”

Arthur looked away. “It’s TB.”

Charlotte nodded. She had suspected as much; she had noticed him weakening during his last couple of visits, and she could smell a sickness in him, something that seemed much worse than the usual ailments. 

“Are you afraid of dying?” she asked him, looking him in the eyes.

He was quiet for a moment. “...Yes. But I’ve accepted it.”

“What if you could live?”

“There’s no comin’ back from this.”

She placed a hand on his arm. “There is a way.”

***

He had rejected her offer at first, thinking she was crazy, it wouldn’t work.

But when she had held him up by one arm, exhibiting a supernatural strength, he had only shrugged and said as nonchalantly as he could, “well, maybe you ain’t crazy.” She had given him a small mouthful of her blood to keep him going for a little longer while she researched how to change him without accidentally killing him.

Turned out that the bit of blood he took from her worked as a lifeline; when she felt his life ebbing away on the mountain, she ran to him, forced blood down his throat, and watched as her friend became a newly born vampire.

***

When the training year was over, Arthur had leaned down and given Charlotte a sweet peck on the cheek. It would be their last meeting where they could be together in the same room without wanting to rip each other apart. Even at that moment, Charlotte could feel the instinctual aggression begin to bubble up, but she only smiled and told Arthur, “Write to me whenever you need help. And please. Think about my request.”

Arthur had nodded and set off on his new horse, riding into the darkness.

***

You woke up as the sun was setting. Stretching your sore muscles, you felt refreshed after sleeping so many nights on a bed roll. Getting out of bed and putting on your traveling clothes, you exited the room to find Charlotte to say goodbye.

She was sitting at her dining table, reading Arthur’s letter. She looked up at you as you walked in and beckoned you to sit with her.

Setting your bag down, you sat across from her, glancing at the letter curiously.

“Do you wish to know what he wrote?”

You shrugged. “I’m curious, but if it’s a private matter between the two of you, I don’t want to pry.”

She nodded and smiled at you. “You’re a good woman. I’m choosing to tell you.” She took a deep breath.

“Do you know why it took Arthur so long to bring you to me?”

You shook your head.

“Arthur didn’t want to bond anyone to him because if he died, they would die with him.” 

You swallowed. Knowing him, he didn’t want the possibility of someone killing him and taking you down with him. No wonder he was so hesitant about the topic.

“I told Arthur, before he left, that if he found someone he wanted to be with forever, that I would give him the ritual for a price.”

She stood up and went to her bookshelf. Picking a leather-bound journal, she came back to the table and handed it to you. “This is my personal journal, of all of my observations about being a vampire. I want you to have it.”

You took the journal and looked back up at her. “Are you sure? Don’t you need it?”

A bittersweet smile crossed her face; your heart ached to look at her. “Not for much longer.”

“Charlotte?”

“Do you know what the price is?” She held up the letter. “The price that Arthur agreed to?”

You barely shook your head. Your heart hammered and you started to feel a cold sweat coming on.

“He has to kill me.”

You dropped the journal. Staring at her, you hastily picked it back up and tried to give it back to her, as if handing her journal back would reverse what she had said. “No, no! Why?”

She wrapped your hands around her journal and gently pushed it back towards you. “It must be done.” Looking out the window as the sun set, she was silent for a moment before continuing to speak. “Without Cal, I’ll lose my sanity. I cannot feed on anything else. Any blood I drink, I’ll just vomit it back up.”

You could only listen in horror as your throat went dry.

“I’ve only survived this long because I was strong. But in a few more years, I will become a feral beast and slowly die from starvation as I mindlessly kill creatures, trying to drink their blood.”

She looked back at you, the weight of the world in her gaze. “Arthur knows this, knows the risks, but he loves you so much that he’s willing to bind himself to you forever. Your life will be as long as his, but if you are killed, then he will slowly go insane as he starves. Bonding with you makes you his only food source, and everything else becomes poison.”

She looked at you, a grave expression on her face. “Do you understand why he didn’t want to do this at first?”

You nodded.

“I know that asking him to kill me will hurt Arthur. I know that inside, he is a kind man who just happened to grow up in a violent world. Please, forgive me for hurting him.”

You looked upon this kind woman, the one who had saved Arthur, the one who had given you the knowledge to be with him forever, and the one who was suffering, and would continue to suffer, unless the price was paid.

And you made a decision.

“No.”

Charlotte stared at you for a moment, confused. “What?”

“Arthur won’t suffer this time.” You breathed in and silently prayed for courage. “I’ll do it.”

She looked at you, her confusion turning into respect. “Thank you,” she said softly.

***

As dusk melted away, leaving the sky a dark fabric of inky velvet, you and Charlotte walked to a flower bed, next to a grave. She placed a stake, a mallet, and an axe on the ground nearby. You were carrying a rifle that she had loaded with a silver bullet.

She lay in the bed of flowers, her face smiling and peaceful as she glanced at the gravestone.

“I’ll see you soon, Cal.”

Then she turned to you. “I’m sorry,” she said, but her smile did not waver. “I never meant for you to be the one to do this.”

You nodded, struggling to control your emotions. Taking another deep breath, you raised the rifle. “You were so kind to me. I’ll always remember you.”

She smiled. “Tell Arthur thank you. And that I’m sorry.”

“I will.”

You fired the rifle straight into her heart.

She didn’t even make a sound as the bullet pierced her body, her face turning slightly towards the gravestone. Taking the stake and the mallet, you hammered it down where her heart was, to keep her body in place, as she had instructed you. Then you set down the mallet and picked up the axe, taking one last look at her face.

Even in death, Charlotte still looked graceful. Her smile was full of kindness and gratitude. It was the gratitude that broke your heart as you swung the axe.

***

You listlessly rode back to the cave by yourself. You had beheaded her before burying her, your tears blinding you as you had shoveled the dirt until she was fully beneath the earth. You had put all the tools away, too numb to really think about why you were doing it, just that it was something she would have done. 

After you had agreed to her price, she had quickly penned a letter for Arthur, which you had in your bag. That letter felt like it weighed a thousand pounds as you carried it, along with her journal and her ritual book.

As you approached the cave before dawn, Arthur came out, looking worried.

“Darlin’?”

You got off the horse slowly, starting to shake violently as the full weight of what you had done was starting to sink in.

“Arthur?” you whispered feebly.

He ran the rest of the way to you, pulling you into his arms. He sniffed and stared at you. “What…?”

“I paid the price,” you said as your tears began to flow once more.

Arthur stared, his mouth open in shock. Then he bowed his head and held you tight.

And for a long time, neither of you spoke. Only soft sobs filled the night air.

You weren’t sure if the sounds were coming from you, or him, or both of you.

***

At some point, the two of you had hidden back in the cave and fallen asleep in each other’s arms, holding each other for comfort as the day came and went.

The two of you awoke, together, as the sun disappeared beneath the horizon. Arthur’s fingers caressed your cheek as he traced the line of your jaw, to your neck, to your shoulder, down your arm, to your hand, where he entwined his fingers with yours and clasped your hand tight.

“I love you so much,” he murmured. “I love you above all else.”

“I love you too,” you quietly said back. “You’re worth everything.”

Silently looking at each other for a few moments, just basking in this connection of two people who would never need anyone else, you and Arthur smiled and leaned in at the same time to share a chaste kiss.

“We can do the ritual tonight,” you finally said. “It’s a full moon.” You sat up and pulled the ritual book from your bag. “Or we can wait a month until we get back home so we’re in a more familiar place.”

Arthur looked over your shoulder as you flipped to the chapter with the bonding ritual. After skimming the page you were on, he shrugged. “What do you want to do?”

“Let’s do it tonight.” You got out of the bedroll and stood up, stretching your back. Your arms were sore and your heart still hurt. Looking back at Arthur, you smiled. “I think it’s what she would have wanted for us.”

His lip twitched as he let out a soft laugh. “You know, I think you’re right.”

***

Together, the two of you gathered up some stones and built a circle in the cave. Making small fires at the four cardinal directions, the two of you shed your clothes and stood facing each other within the circle.

“You ready?”

“To be with you forever? Lemme think about it.”

You smacked Arthur lightly on the arm. “Funny.”

“I’d like to think so,” he said as he cupped your cheek. “But in all seriousness, are you sure? You’ll be stuck with me for a long time.”

You touched his cheek in return. “I’m absolutely sure.”

He nodded. “Thank you,” he whispered. He leaned down and kissed you. His lips moved down your chin to your neck, where the tips of his fangs grazed your skin, but never breaking through, always so gentle with you as he worked his way down your body, worshiping you with kisses and tender touches until he was on his knees before you. Your hands had been on his shoulders, following him down until he was looking up at your face. He wrapped one arm around your hips, his hand gripping your backside.

“Put yer leg over my shoulder, darlin’,” he said as he patted your thigh. You carefully swung it over his shoulder with his help, holding onto his head for support.

Arthur leaned his head in and tentatively licked your core. He looked up at you again, winking as he dove in, giving your lower lips a full make out session as he devoured you.

You moaned louder as he became bolder with his exploration, his tongue flicking this way and that, opening you up and making you wet with need. His arms around you kept you steady as your hands gripped his head, fingers in his hair as you rolled your hips as much as you could in his iron hold.

He was a very talented man with his mouth, his chin dripping with your juices as he pulled away right before he brought you to completion. You whimpered, only to have him pat your rear gently. 

“C’mon, sweetheart,” he coaxed as he lay down in the center of the circle. He stroked his cock, hard from pleasuring you, as he held out his other hand to you. You took it, letting him guide you as you straddled him and slowly lowered yourself onto his shaft.

“Take yer time.”

You let out a soft sigh as you seated yourself fully, his girth filling you up and making you feel amazing. You knew you’d never get tired of this feeling. 

Raising his right wrist, he bit down on his vein. Blood dribbled from the wound as he lifted it to your mouth. Giving your right wrist to him, he kissed the soft skin, his fangs grazing near the vein. Taking your left hand with his, he nodded at you 

Together, the two of you held hands, fingers entwined. 

Together, you spoke.

Together, you made a promise.

“Take of my blood, be my one true heart, forever yours, ‘till all the stars fall.”

Together, you both bit down, his blood filling your mouth as yours filled his.

You weren’t ready for the feeling that coursed through you the moment his blood hit your tongue. The only real way you could characterize it was as if the wind had dove through your skin, through your very pores, compressing into your heart. You forced yourself to swallow and continued to drink, even as your heart hammered, even as you began to sweat and shake; Charlotte had told you to drink until the  _ whooshing _ feeling ceased.

So you drank.

When you felt like your heart was about to stop, all of a sudden, the power released itself from you, and you felt flushed with heat. Arthur looked up at you as he gave your skin one last, languid lick to heal the wound, his pupils dilated, his cheeks flushed with life. He placed your hand on his heart, and you felt a heartbeat; it was the first time you had felt one. 

The gentle rhythm matched your own. 

He smiled as he let go of your hand and gripped your hips with both hands. You started to move, sliding along the length of him, leaning down to kiss his warm lips as you rode him, the two of you lost in the feel of each other, wrapped up in emotions you never thought were possible. It was deeper than any love you could imagine, stronger than any bond you had ever felt. 

His arms wrapped around you and held you close. His hips surged upwards, meeting your body as you rode him faster and faster, your breath coming out in short gasps. You were so close, so damn close. 

"Come with me, darlin'," Arthur said softly, his arms holding you even tighter. 

You burst apart, crying out his name as utter pleasure ripped through your body, your hips spasming uncontrollably. He gripped your ass and thrust upwards, moaning your name over and over as he too slipped over the edge into sweet delirium, filling you with his spend. 

For a few minutes, the two of you lay there on the cold stone of the cave, just breathing. When you shivered, Arthur carefully sat up, wrapped your arms and legs around him, and got up. Walking out of the circle, the fires extinguished and the cave became dark.

Blinking, you trusted Arthur to take you to the bed roll, where he lay you down and grabbed his union suit and your night dress for warmth. After the two of you pulled on your clothes, he covered you both with his blanket, making sure you were warm enough. You smiled and snuggled into his arms. 

"Sweetheart?" 

"Yes?" 

You felt him caress your face oh so gently. "I love you. Always will."

You felt for his face in the darkness, and when you found him, you leaned forward to kiss him softly. 

"I'll love you forever, Arthur Morgan."

***

Arthur slowly got up from the bed roll, making sure not to waken his beloved. Moving as silent as a shadow, he took the letter from the pile of books on the ground and carried it to the mouth of the cave so he could read it in the moonlight.

Opening the letter, he smiled sadly at seeing Charlotte's cursive lettering. 

_ My dearest Arthur,  _

_ I'm afraid this will be my last letter to you. Your chosen mate is very courageous. She has a good look in her eyes.  _

_ At this point, you'll know what she's done for you. Treasure her, guard her. Don't make my mistake. Don't let her die. Make sure she knows how you feel. Every day. _

_ I leave all my worldly belongings to you. I already had the deed transferred to your name long ago. Do with them what you wish. _

_ I'll miss you, my friend. But I'm off to see Cal, so I can't say that I'm sad to go. _

_ Take care of yourself.  _

  1. _B._



Arthur folded the letter and stared up at the moon. 

"Goodbye, Charlotte."

***

When you awoke at dusk, you found Arthur, sleeping soundly next to you. As you moved, he reached out for you, hooking one arm around your waist. 

"Just a few minutes more, darlin'," he mumbled. 

You just fell back into his embrace and held him close until twilight swept across the sky. 

The two of you finally got dressed and went to hunt some small game. Arthur ended up cooking a small rabbit for you. You ate some of the leftover biscuits and some of the cooked meat before helping him pack up everything and load up the horses. All of this was done in relative silence, both of you processing the past twenty four hours. 

"Charlotte gave us everythin'," he finally said as the two of you started riding down the mountain path. 

"Wh-what?" 

"Her house. Her land. All of it."

You stared at him, agape. Then you noticed his face, pained, yet pensive. Was it too painful to live where his mentor had died? You didn't want to go back there at the moment either, but you couldn't imagine how Arthur felt. 

"What are you thinking?" you asked in a small voice.

He sighed as he stared ahead for a few moments. "I'm thinking we keep it for when we get too young for our current town," he finally replied. "Another ten years, then we'll move out here, live quietly, away from people, just us two." 

He turned and gave you a teasing smile, his eyes full of love for you. "What do ya say, Mrs Morgan?" 

You smiled back. "I'd say that sounds like Heaven, Mr. Morgan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this got really angsty and dark. If you've read Magic Knight Rayearth, then you'll know where I got my inspiration from. If you managed to read this all, thank you for sticking around. I hope you enjoyed the ride.


End file.
